Ahead Of The Curve with Jonathan Gelnar

What can we learn from a ship captain that got his ship stranded in the ice 80 miles the coast of Antarctica? Find out next.

This podcast is powered by Stick & Ball TV THE baseball and softball streaming platform. If you haven’t check it out, there are hundreds videos and so much great content waiting for you. And the cool part? It’s all updated weekly. Check it out at StickandBall.TV, or on the Stick & Ball TV mobile app Today we have on Alan Jaeger- founder of Jaeger sports. Alan founded Jaeger Sports on the principle that athletes need to develop both their physical and mental skills in order to be successful in game situations. Since 1991 Alan Jaeger, as a personal trainer and consultant, has worked with over 200 professional players, including 2002 Cy Young Award Winner Barry Zito, and All-Stars Dan Haren and Andrew Bailey. Alan, has also consulted with many schools and professional organizations. Alan’s intention is to help athletes merge the “mechanics” of the Western athlete with the “insight” of the Far Eastern mind, to position athletes to best realize their potential on and off the playing field. On the show we extensively cover all things mental game. Including meditation, visualization, routines, self talk, and awareness. Not only do we go over the methodology behind it, Alan puts it all on the table for us with countless practical drills and scenarios that you can take to practice tomorrow. Heres Alan Jaeger! Time Stamps 2:00- Defining the mental game 11:20- What separates the good team from great teams? 16:40- Where do we start? 26:40- Getting players to buy in 36:40- Practical Strategies to use 42:40- Routines and process oriented 50:30- Failure Recovery 52:10- Mindfulness Plans and Breathing 1:03:10- Last things Resources https://www.jaegersports.com/mental-practice-plans/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h4er5U38SU&ab_channel=AlanJaeger Contact https://www.jaegersports.com/ @jaegersports

How do we make data relevant? By giving in the story or experience. In order to gain attention from players using data. We have to show that we can connect with them in meaningful and useful always. And we use data to positively influence an outcome, one way or another.

Bio Ryan has a degree in Exercise Physiology from University of California at Davis and he has worked on improving athlete’s visual performance on the field since 1999. Through the years he has worked hundreds of baseball stars. He has also worked with the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Philadelphia Phillies 2009-2012 as well as 9 other Professional Baseball Organizations. Collegiately he has worked with the 2016 NCAA Champion Coastal Carolina, the 2012 NCAA Champion Arizona Wildcats, the 2013 NCAA Champions UCLA Bruins, as well as Oregon State, Wichita State, Kentucky, and Long Beach State. Ryan has worked with many Collegiate Softball programs On the show we go over several drills you can take and implement in practice tomorrow. We talk balance, depth perception, and one of my favorite discussions was over when, where and how to look Here is Ryan Harrison! Time Stamps 3:00- Where do we start? 6:30- Cognition tests 15:50 When, where and how to look 23:50- Setup to see 29:10- Depth Perception 33:00- Balance and its effect on vision 36:60- "mechanics are a result of proper vision" 40:30- In game discussions 47:30- Reaction time vs predictive vision 55:50- Perception/Action Coupling 58:30- The Barry Bonds drill 1:01:30- Drills 1:13:00- Last Things Contact https://www.slowthegamedown.com/ [email protected] https://ndvperformance.com/

Most of us are transitioning from offseason to in season this time of year. So I wanted to put some thoughts together from things I've learned and some thoughts on what I would do different.

Today we have on Patrick Murphy, Head Softball Coach, University of Alabama Murph is in his 25th year at Alabama; 23rd year as head coach. In his tenure, he is the winningest coach of all-time in any sport at Bama. They have been to the NCAA tournament 22 straight years and all 15 Super Regional rounds that have been played. They have been a 12-time WCWS participant. He is a 6-time SEC champion, they have been the national attendance leader 14 years running and they have had the most academic All-Americans of any softball program the past 10 years. On the show, we discuss all things program building which includes leadership dinners, involving parents, creating a culture of affirmations and gratitude and so much more. You're gonna love this episode with Patrick Murphy! Time Stamps 4:00- Vision when Patrick got the job 8:11- First Steps 12:30- Combating the anxious generation 15:30- "its all about the relationships" 17:15- Leadership Dinners 23:15- "Dont hold grudges" 27:20- Involving Parents 35:00 The power of affirmations 41:30- Holding teammates accountable 46:40- Classroom Sessions 49:40- Practice Planning Advice 56:30- Quick Hitters Resources Leadership from a dancing man The Choice- Edith Eger Contact Coach Murphy [email protected]

This week, we're talking why we should start with and continually focus on clarity.

Intro Entering his 13th year in the Cleveland Indians Organization, and his second year on the Major League Staff. Justin spend the first 7 years as a minor league player reaching AAA, and the past 6 years as a coach. He was a hitting coach from 2016-'19 and Spent 2020 in his current role as the Major League hitting analyst. Justin Attended/played collegiately at the University of Iowa. Spent a week in the American Association before he was fortunate enough to sign with the Indians as a non drafted FA. He just finished a masters program in Performance Psychology this past March. On the show dive into the art of coaching, facilitating a learning environment, blending intuition and science, simplifying analytics, and of course, psychology. Time Stamps 2:00- What does a hitting analyst do? 6:00- Filtering Information 9:45- Advanced Reports 16:50- Evaluating new players 20:00- Communication 23:32- Teaching and its role in coaching 30:40- Blending the art of coaching with science/data 37- Facilitating learning environments 43- Mastery vs Performance goals 47:20- Giving Better Feedback 50- Focal Points, Routines and breathing 56:00- Quick Hitters Resources The Coaches Guide to teaching- Doug Lemov Greenlights- Matthew McConaughey Daniel Coyle Books Legacy- James Kerr Relentless- Tim Grover Mind Gym- Gary mack Range- David Epstein Contact https://twitter.com/Tooleyj24

This episode is powered by stick and ball. If you'd like a free month? go to stickandball.tv and enter the code AOTC2021 for a free 30 day trial, it WILL be worth it. I'm going to do some shorter podcasts on some topics i'm passionate about, periodically and in addition to the weekly podcast. Todays topic is about creating a system for retaining information.

Bio Born in Northern Alberta, Canada in an area where there is very little baseball, his parents let him move to Lewiston, ID when he was in the 9th grade and live with a host family and play high school baseball. He then played at Spokane Falls Community College and Whitworth University After playing he coached at Spokane Falls CC for 4 years working with hitters and outfielders and also serving as the S&C coach. During that time, he got His Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Eastern Washington University. Robin then got out of coaching and pursued a PhD and While working on it, he was Ed Cheff’s S&C coach at Lewis Clark State College. Robin completed his degree in 2002 and landed a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Kinesiology in cedar falls Iowa. After 18 years, he got back into coaching and became the volunteer assistant for the University of Northern Iowa softball team in the Fall of 2018 and then in January of 2019 he took a job at the university of Iowa, where he started as the hitting coach and then became the pitching coach in the Fall of 2020. On the show, we go over player assessments, developing motor learning plans, and blending the art and science of coaching. Time stamps 3:50 - Player Assessments 16:00- Blending art and science of coaching 18:30- Motor Learning Plans for pitchers 25:27- Motor learning plans for hitters 33:30- Using in game data for pitchers 37:00- Using in game data for hitters 43:30- Gameplanning 45:00- Pre-pitch routines 46:45- Post Game reports 50:30- Simplifying data 55:30- Quick Hitters Resources Motus Sleeve Trent Otis Google sheets/Pivot tables Functional Movement Screen Frans Bosch Contact @Lunderton [email protected]

Today we have on Lance Zawadski, Minor League hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox. Lance played at San Diego State University and Lee University. He also played for 6 different organization and indy ball before getting into coaching. On the show we talk about the lower half function in the swing, training adjustability in the swing and using technology efficiently Time Stamps 2:30- Player Evaluation. 10:48- Exploring the lower half. 13:00- Environment/Adjustability. 19:50- Training vs preparation 28:00- Lower half adjustability 35:00- Bill Belichick on technology and Technology best practices 46:30 Gameplanning 51:30- Resources Resources https://www.synapse-ccr.com/ Anticipation and Decision Making in Sport 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by A. Mark William Contact IG- @Lancezawadzki Twitter -@Lancezawadzki

On todays show Keith is currently a senior baseball writer for the Athletic. He previously wrote for ESPN.com and ESPN Scouts, Inc. and for Baseball Prospectus. Keith also worked in the front office for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2002-2006. On the show, we discuss scouting and its role in player development which includes a discussion on what traits can be taught, and what cant. Then we take a deep dive into analytics and what Keith thinks could be the most impactful information for the next decade. Time Stamps 2:30- How Keith started in baseball 8:30- Analytics 11:30- Future Trends 25:30- Scouting 34:30 cognitive Biases 40:00 Traits that we can develop and traits that are innate 47:35- Acquiring players with traits you can develop 53:00- Resources 55:30- Last Things Contact The Athletic Paste Twitter Blog Resources Thinking Fast and Slow- Tversky and Kahneman Inside Game- Keith Law Smart Baseball- Keith Law Whistling Vivaldi- Steele Biased- Eberhardt

Today we have on the Athletic Mission Baseball Academy staff Geoff Rottmayer and Darrell Coulter. AMBA is located in Tulsa Oklahoma and specializes in helping two way baseball players develop a strategic advantage mindset so they can deliver on game day. Geoff is the owner of AMBA, was Drafted by the Florida Marlins out of High School 2003 but went on to sign at Seminole State College 2003 and later Florida Gulf Coast University 2004. He has 15+ years of coaching and mentoring hundred of player through the college recruiting and pre-draft and draft process and is the Creator of “The Command Hitting System” Darrell signed with the Philadelphia Phillies out of High School in 1986 and played 4 years in Phillies Minor League System. Darrell has more than 15 years of College Recruiting Consulting and Advising for Parents & Players. he has Consulted with over 100+ College and Professional Pitchers. and he is the Owner of S.T.A.R.T.T. Pitching and theCreator of “The Strategic Pitcher Program” They both also Co-Host of The Strategic Baseball Podcast. On the show we go dive into what player development consists of, how to create strategic in game advantages, we talk game-planning, assessments and much, much more. Contact http://www.athletic-mission.com/staff https://www.strategicbaseballpodcast.com/

Today we have on Trevor Burmeister, MiLB hitting coach for the Colorado rockies. Trevor started his coaching career at UW-La Crosse in 2014 as Outfield and Assistant Hitting Coach. In his second year at the school the team went on to take second place in the NCAA World Series. The following season, Burmeister started pursuing his Master’s Degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and in his first season there, they also had the third best batting average and second best home run totals in NCAA DII. Before getting hired by the Rockies, Trevor was an assistant coach at Madison College. And In 2019 he was named the NJCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the ABCA and Baseball America on the show, we discussed how to best use technology, how to create a challenging training environment, and Trevor goes in depth with implements and constraints training. Resources Old School vs New School https://108pa.com/book Contact https://twitter.com/T_Burm

On todays show we have on Kyle Stark who is a leadership and coaching consultant. Kyles went to ball state, got his law degree from Toledo but he always knew he wants to be in baseball, so much so that in grad school he also serves as the pitching coach for St. Bonaventure, where he got his masters in business administration. He started as an intern with the Cleveland Indians and then he was hired by the pirates and worked his way up to be the assistant GM until 2019. On the show we discuss coaching and feedback, we take a deep dive into culture and we discuss why conversations need to start with clarity, connectedness and consistency. Resources The Bible Contact [email protected]

Today we have on Bhrett McCabe Clinical and Sports Psychologist. Bhrett has worked with professional athletes including 12+ PGA and LPGA Tour players whose rankings have reached #1 in the world. He has been a consultant and Sports Psychologist for The University of Alabama Athletic Department, working with all teams and coaching staffs and he has been a featured speaker to numerous Fortune 500 companies and organizations. On the show dive deep into his experiences at LSU playing for Skip Bertman, we go over practical mental game strategies, and we discuss "how to win awareness" which includes classroom sessions and how we can coach in game strategy to players. Contact https://www.bhrettmccabe.com/ https://twitter.com/DrBhrettMcCabe

Today we have on the Jim Maciejewski, Athletic Director/Head Baseball Coach at Mauldin HS in South Carolina. Maj has been the head baseball coach at Mauldin since 2009, so we go over what building the culture over the last decade has looked like, we discuss how we can leverage social media as a celebration tool but also how to use it to keep alumni connected and we dive deep into what he has done differently because of the COVID pandemic. Resources Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners Contact https://twitter.com/Maciejewski24 [email protected]

Today we have on Andy Bass Coordinator of Mental Conditioning for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Andy has an awesome story, with playing professional baseball and developing the yips, then deciding he wanted to focus his attention onto helping players with the mental side by getting his advanced degrees in psychology and then motor learning. On the show, we discuss how to integrate mindfulness into our practice sessions, we go over how to allow some autonomy players, we dive deep into game-like practices and feedback loops Resources Blackbox thinking- by Matthew Syed Beartown- by Fredrick Backman Contact [email protected]

Today we have on Jeremy Sheetinger, head baseball coach at Georgia Gwinnett College. Sheets is by far one of the most popular baseball coaches in the world. After working for the American Baseball Coaches Association and running the podcast, he took the job at GGC last year. On the show we discuss what he has learned during the 4 years he stepped away from the field, and how he has implemented so much information into what they do at GGC. We go all in on competitions, classroom sessions, and how to teach the mental game. If you're looking for a copy/paste episode, sheets delivered. This episode is so good, and here is Jeremy Sheetinger! Resource Baseball Playbook- Ron Polk Help the Helper- by Kevin Pritchard, John Eliot Contact @CoachSheets3 [email protected]

Rich Benjamin begins his 6th year at the helm of the Indiana Wesleyan University In Benjamin's first year at Indiana Wesleyan the Wildcats had one of the most successful seasons in program history as they advanced to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round for the first time.The Wildcats topped their 2016 success two years later going 37-20 in the 2018 season, winning the Crossroads League and reaching the NAIA Opening Round for the second time in program history. Coach Benjamin was named the Crossroads League Coach of the Year for his leadership during the 2018 season. Prior to Indiana Wesleyan, Benjamin was the head baseball coach at Judson (Ill.) for eight seasons where he accumulated the most wins in program history with 304. On the show we go over how being a pitching coach early on helped him to develop a well rounded approach as a hitting coach and now head coach, we discuss why we need to simplify things in a world of constant noise, and we dive deep into what Rich calls “training zone focus vs performance zone focus” Resources Romans- The Bible Contact [email protected]

Subscribe here! Description Kyle is a former standout high school baseball player who went on to play Division 1 baseball at Wake Forrest and a year professionally in the Angels organization. Kyle was also a part of the historic 2015 Red Land Little League team that wen on to win the United States Championship. He is the author of two books- Green light hitting and How the Rivercats won. Kyle is one of my favorite twitter follows because he always helps me to think deeper on different subjects like practice design and player development. Resources How The RiverCats Won: Lessons on Relationships and Competition Green Light Hitting from the backyards to the big leagues Contact https://twitter.com/GowagsKyle

Today we have on David Jeans, head baseball coach for De La Salle HS. David is an industrial engineer by trade and after pursing that for several years, started coaching a 6th grade basketball team. This led him to coaching football at De La Salle during the Bob Ladouceur era, which is one of the most successful dynasties in HS football history. He worked his way up the ranks and became the head baseball coach in 2012. And Since 2012- De La Salle Baseball has reached title game every year, won in 12,14,16,17,18,19. So on the show we discuss how being a football coach has helped Under coach Lad helped him to establish a “development first” program. We discuss how being an engineer has helped with with practice plan design in limited space. And we dive deep into what being Spartan looks like on a daily basis.

Today we have on Curt Nelson, Professional Hitting Consultant and NW bandits head coach (WA). Curt works with players from the big leagues to little league. So on the show we discuss what his evaluation process looks from when a person walks in the door for the first time, to fine tuning professional hitters mechanics. We dive deep into hitting mechanics, game planning, timing and much more.

For over 19 years, Kevin Wilson has been one of the most sought after hitting consultants in the game. Kevin currently works with or has worked with with Minor and Major League players from all 30 MLB organizations. In 2013, Kevin was the hitting coach for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Team USA beat Japan for the Gold medal at the IBAF World Cup in Taiwan. On the show Kevin and I discuss what #goodbatting is, we talk about how hitting is a conversation. And Kevin walks us through what it sounds like to be in a cage session with him.

Today we're joined by Tom Sutaris. Tom has spent time coaching at every level. He was a high school English teacher and coach, a college coach, and is now the AA hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies. On the show Tom shares with us some ways he has grown as a coach, especially getting to coach at each level, we talk how to make changes with the player and how to ask questions to get to the root of the problem, and Tom dives deep into how to create a hitting culture. Resources Energy Bus- Jon Gordon Atomic Habits- James Clear.

Today we have on Billy Berry, Head Baseball Coach at Tennessee Wesleyan University Billy was the head coach of TWU from 2005-2015 and then returned to TWU in July of 2017 after a two year coaching stint at the Baylor School. Billy and TWU have won 2 NAIA national championships during his 2 stints and In his twenty + years of coaching, He has seen over forty former players move on to professional baseball. He wants to continue to help young men use baseball as an avenue to get their education, continue on the bulldog baseball success and have kids that represent the school, their families and the program with pride. So on the show we talk about how he uses the Weslyan tradition to ingrain the culture every year. How he helps players to own their career and holds them accountable, and he discusses how to “attack the day” everyday. Books: Energy Bus; Books about programs or seasons.

Today were joined by Episode #1 and #5 guests Butch Chaffin and Wes Brooks. Wes Brooks is the head coach at Oxford HS in Alabama and Butch Chaffin, Head coach at cookeville HS in Tennessee. I may have mentioned it several times on the podcast, but I want to reiterate it here. Butch and Wes are two of the best coaches in the country and they absolutely get the most out their guys and love them to death. So on the show, we talk about what’s important to them. We discuss what growing men in your program means, we talk all things culture building, and you can develop a system that works for your program. Contact: @oldgoldsports @gawbage29

This episode is sponsored by Athlete's Brand. Today we have on Ryan Sienko- Catching Coordinator for the LA Dodgers Ryan was a catcher at the University of Iowa, played professionally for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and in independent baseball where he was an All-Star. His current responsibilities include catching philosophies and drills, deciphering receiving metrics, blocking philosophies and drills, throwing philosophies and drills, coordinating player plans, working with the research and development department, drills and skill work, and traveling to all affiliates to work with the catchers. On the show, we discuss how he evaluates catchers, what data and trends we can look for, and we go through several drills and thought processes with how we can setup up catchers to maximize their potential, on and off the field. Resources Choose love not fear Getting outside of your comfort zone. “Ask other people what challenges the face, and how they overcome them." Contact @Catch_and_Throw https://www.catchandthrow.com/ Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Jason Kanzler Jason was undrafted/unrecruited out of high school, tried to walk on at Northeastern University in Boston and Was cut after fall ball, He Went on to attend the University of Buffalo and became the first D1 player ever to win the gold glove award twice, won MAC player of year, won UB student athlete of year, then was drafted in 20th round by Twins as senior sign for $1k Jason played 3 years in twins system, during which they a Florida state league championship and then spent the next 2.5 years teaching high school physics/chemistry while also coaching baseball He was hired by with Astros last year, and was the hitting coach in high A. On the show we talk about the art of coaching, we discuss the importance of data and how subjective measurements are also important. We dig in conversations in the dugout an how we can teach the game within the game. Resources: owntheoffseason.com Antifragile- Nassim Nicholas Taleb Stuart McMillan Blog. Show Notes (Zach Casto).

Today we have on Chris Gimenez from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Michael McCarthy from the Minnesota Twins. In parts of 10 seasons, Chris appeared in 386 Major League games and tallied 1067 plate appearances between the Indians, Twins, Mariners, Rays, Rangers and Cubs. While the bulk of Gimenez’s work came behind the plate, he was versatile enough to spend time at first base, in the outfield corners and, more briefly at third base. Beyond that, Gimenez took the ball for 11 relief appearances in his career. He is currently the game planning coach for the LA Dodgers. Mike went from mowing lawns, dragging infields and “just trying to be a part of” Cal State Bakersfield’s first baseball team to being 14th round selection by the Boston Red Sox in the 2011 MLB draft and he spent parts of his final three seasons with Triple-A Pawtucket. His final season came in 2016. and is currently the pitching coach for AAA Rochester in the Minnesota Twins organization. On the showOn the show we dive deep into the pitcher/catcher relationship, we discuss how we can break down data for players into a tool thats most relevant for them, and we go over game-planning and in dugout conversations. You’re going to love this episode with Michael McCarthy and Chris Gimenez. Resources Books Smart baseball MVP Machine Make your bed Jocko Willink Fortitude https://www.baseballmiracles.org/ Contact Chris Gimenez https://twitter.com/ChrisGimenez5 Michael McCarthy https://twitter.com/mmccarthy35 Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Aaron Bates. The Dodgers MLB assistant hitting coach, and he’s also the director of hitting for the minor leagues. Aaron was a third-round pick out of North Carolina State by Boston in 2006, and played eight professional seasons — he logged 12 plate appearances with the Red Sox in 2009 — before joining the coaching ranks. His final swings came with the Dodgers in 2014. From there he served as a hitting coach in the Arizona, Midwest, and California leagues. In 2018, he became the assistant hitting coordinator for LA’s minor league system. On the show, we discuss the process and what that means to the Dodgers minor league system. We go over game planning, simplification, what he has learned during COVID and so much more. Favorite books Culture Code- Daniel Coyle Talent Code- Daniel Coyle Contact https://twitter.com/a33bates Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Rick Franzblau. Rick is in his first year as the director of olympic sports strength and conditioning. The previous three years he served in the capacity of assistant director of olympic sports strength and conditioning. He is responsible for the supervision of the assistant strength coaches, graduate assistants and volunteer interns. Rick oversees the strength and conditioning for all 14 of the Olympic Sports an he is directly responsible for the strength and conditioning efforts of the baseball, men’s soccer and track and field teams. On the show we discuss how to match hardware and software, in both hitting and pitching. How what we find on movement screens affects in game performance. How to communicate and collaborate with on field staff and strength staff. We talk deceleration training, proper breathing and so much more. Here is Rick Franzblau! Resources Understand basic concepts of postural restoration institute Basic anatomy Contact https://twitter.com/FranzblauRick [email protected] Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

This episode is brought to you by Marvbands. Use code AOTC for 10% off of team sets! Today we have on The King of Jewish Baseball Nate Fish. We go over what he has learned in playing and coaching in 20 plus countries. He also has experience in the world baseball classic, in Cape Cod and starting the national baseball program in Israel. And one of the coolest things about Nate is his experience coaching from little league, to coaching in the minor leagues with the Dodgers. Contact https://twitter.com/kingofJbaseball Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

This episode is brought to you by Marvbands. Use code AOTC for 10% off of team sets! Today we have on Joe Espada, Bench Coach for the Houston Astros. Joe grew up in Puerto Rico and attended college the University of Mobile before being drafted 45th overall in the 1996 draft by the Oakland A’s. Joe played 10 years in the Minors before retiring and getting into coaching. He got his first coaching job in 2006 with the Marlins and was named the big league 3B coach in 2010. In 2014 he was hired by Brian Cashman and became an assistant to the GM and the infield coach with the Yankees, and in 2017 he was hired by the Astros to be the bench coach. On the show we discuss lessons learned throughout his professional career, we discuss how working in the Yankees front office helped him become a better on field coach and we dive deep into how to learn about and build the culture in the clubhouse. Resources Extreme ownership- Jocko Willink Measure what matters- John Doerr We’re all in this together- Mike Robbins Contact [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/josueespada/ Guest Speaker PDF show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Andy Haines, MLB hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. Andy is in his his second season in the Brewers organization. Prior to joining the Brewers, spent one season as assistant hitting coach with the Chicago Cubs. Under Haines (and hitting coach Chili Davis), the Cubs led the National League in batting average and ranked second in on-base percentage in 2018...Served Chicago as minor league hitting coordinator from 2016-17... Spent eight seasons with the Miami Marlins, where he joined the organization in 2008 as Rookie GCLMarlins hitting coach. On the show we discuss the differences in working with big leaguers and minor leaguers and amateurs, we go over gameplanning, pre game routines and it all ties back into gaining trust with players. You’re going to love this episode with Andy Haines

Today we have on the Chicago cubs major league hitting coach, Anthony Iapoce. Anthony was named the Cubs major league hitting coach in October, 2018 after three seasons as the hitting coach with the Texas Rangers ... prior to joining Texas, he spent the previous three years in the Cubs organization as a Special Assistant to the GM while overseeing the club's minor league hitting program from 2013-15 ... Has been in a coaching/player development capacity since the 2006 season. On the show we talk about working with some of the best players in the world and how we can be an advocate for them. We talk about daily routines, which includes game planning and preparation and we get into how we can best serve all of our players. This episode is so good with Anthony Iapoce!

Today we have on George Lombard. First base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. George has been a member of the dodgers for 5 years, after previously serving various roles in the Braves and Red Sox Minor League Systems. George’s story is one word, powerful. His mom was a civil rights activist with Martin Luther King jr. His grandfather was the dean of Harvard business school for 40 years. George was an all American running back and signed at the university of Georgia before ultimately deciding to pursue baseball which led to playing 6+ years in the big leagues.

This episode is brought to you by Marvbands. Use code AOTC for 10% off of team sets! Today we have on 2018 World Series champion, Andy Barkett. Andy was an assistant MLB hitting coach with the Boston Red Sox in 2018-2019. On the show, we talk about how to earn trust with our players, why learning their routines is important, we discuss game-planning, approach and why Andy thinks that hitting coaches are basically part time psychologists. You’re gonna love this episode with Andy Barkett! Contact @abarkett17 Foundations of Coaching Professional Hitters https://bsbliq.com/courses/foundations-of-being-a-professional-hitting-coach/ Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on the Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Hitting Coordinator, Hunter Mense. Born in Liberty, MO, Hunter attended the University of Missouri. And was drafted in the 17th round by the Florida Marlins. After his playing career, he went back to Missouri and served in several roles- undergrad and graduate volunteer assistant coach, and color commentator on the team’s radio broadcasts and then made the jump back to pro ball with the padres for 1 season, then the bluejays as the AA hitting coach and now as the hitting coordinator. On the show, we discuss what the process of making changes with players looks/sounds like, we go over the process of experimentation coupled with communication, and we discuss his role as a coordinator which essentially coaches coach’s. You’re gonna love this episode with Hunter Mense! Resources Range- David Epstein Instagram and Twitter Relationships Contact Twitter Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Chuck Box, Head Baseball Coach and assistant athletic director at Hartfield Academy. We flipped the script a little today, and so Chuck takes us through an entire year of what they do at Hartfield. We go over individual player development plans, schedules, culture building and so much more. If you want a practical episode, this one is for you. Here is Chuck Box! Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

iTunes Youtube Google Spotify Today we have on the Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello Vitello arrived on Rocky Top following four seasons as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas. His rise to the head coaching ranks also included stops at Missouri (his alma mater) and TCU. After leading the program back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019, Vitello and the Vols looked poised to take another step forward in 2020 after a strong start to the season. The Vols were ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation after a 13-0 start to the year and were 15-2 heading into SEC play before the season was halted and eventually canceled due to COVID-19) global health crisis. Prior to the season being canceled, Tennessee led the country in total runs and runs per game while ranking second in home runs, slugging percentage, walks, and on-base percentage. On the show, we discuss what he looks for on the recruiting trail, how to get players to own their career, and we go over what they do for competition everyday and how that propelled them into leading the country in runs in 2020. Here is Tony Vitello Resources Heads up baseball- Ken Ravizza Mind Gym- Gary Mack Joe Rogan Podcast Trevor Moawad

Today we have on Head Coach Rob Cooper from Penn State and Steve Owens from Rutgers In this episode we have over 40 years of bead coaching experience between the two, so we dive into lessons learned, how to communicate with players, how to build relationships and how the formula for recruiting and the process of building culture changes year to year and especially program to program. Here is Rob Cooper and Steve Owens! Contact Rob- [email protected] Steve- [email protected] Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we're talking with Alon Leichman, Milb pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners. Alon has an interesting background, being born and raised in Israel and then playing college baseball in the States. So we talk about his journey to the Mariners, which includes volunteer coaching in Cape Cod during his first summer after playing. What he learned as a bullpen coach in the World Baseball Classic, coaching with Jerry Weinstein. And we also dig into how we can get to better know our players and why that is vital to everything we do as coaches. Resources Hoops Whisperer Range Contact [email protected] Alon Leichman Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto Alon Leichman: MiLB Pitching Coach (Seattle Mariners) Surround yourself with good people. Relationships with your players are the first part of success. Get to know your staff the same way you get to know your players. This creates whole team trust. Pick the brains of the members of your staff, friends, and others. This time is a great opportunity to learn. You are either learning and growing or you are getting passed up. Take a step back and appreciate what you have during these circumstances. Have gratitude for all the blessings you are given. Spend time with the players and be yourself. Be your authentic self so that the players will trust you. When coaching players they are ELL’s don’t be afraid to mess up with Spanish. This allows the ELL athlete to be vulnerable and trust you as well One of the biggest problems players have is overthinking. Have a strong enough relationship to allow players to come to you to talk about it. The sooner you recognize this the quicker the problem will be fixed. Reassure them they it’s okay to struggle and they we are all in this together. You want to get them out o an athletic mindset and not struggle with over thinking. The more we can use external cues and give the players a goal the better chance the athlete will self organize and accomplish the goal. The more we think about our mechanics the more the mechanics will break down. Without data, we must use an educated guess to help the player. When you see video: see if the delivery is fluid. When at foot strike, is the arm in a good position? Is the elbow and shoulder level? Deficiencies: body limitations. Talk to strength coaches and have them help you find out these deficiencies. The arm recoil isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For some players it is natural to do this. It’s natural with some hard throwers. Recoiling is a natural deceleration for the throwing arm. Take the strengths of the player and give data based off of the technology of what you have. The data can show you where you’re at with accomplishing your goal. Individual plans and goals provide clarity for the player on what to do to dominate their role. “Process over results.” Individualized plans provide buy in for the player. If you don’t know the player and the his strengths the. You won’t be able to help develop the player the best way possible. Involve the player when making decisions on their goals. Don’t change without asking the player’s side first. Give evidence as to why you want to make a change. Learn to listen but don’t switch super fast. You have to know how to tell evidence to your players. “It’s not the content that you speak, it’s the way you speak it to the player.” You want to be engaged with your guys. Example: one way to be engaged is to throw with the pitchers every day. Throw different pitches with each guy. Have your catchers try out different stances in bullpens.

Today we have on Nick Winkelman, Head of Athletic Performance & Science for Irish rugby and recent author of “The Language of Coaching.” Nick's primary role is to oversee the delivery and development of strength & conditioning and sports science across all national and provincial teams. Before working for Irish Rugby, Nick was the director of education and training systems for EXOS and oversaw the speed and assessment component of the EXOS NFL Combine Development Program and supported many athletes across the NFL, MLB, NBA, National Sports Organizations, and Military. Nick has his Ph.D. on motor skill learning and sprinting. On the show we talk mainly about the role communication plays in coaching, and here’s a hint, it's a big one. More specifically we get into internal and external. Cues, how we can use coaching feedback loops and we discuss the role of attention and so much more Here is Nick Winkelman! Resources Julian Treasure Ted Talk www.languageofcoaching.com Contact [email protected] www.languageofcoaching.com @nickwinkelman Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Tyler Yearby Co Founder of emergence which is a dedicated resource and community for coaches and movement specialists looking to explore the ever growing world of skill acquisition through ecological dynamics. Tyler also works at Starters Sports Training, which trains baseball and softball players. Tyler’s speciality is in skill acquisition, so we go over how we can use skill acquisition techniques in baseball. A few things we go into, constraints led approach, how we know if a skill “Sticks” long term, what is “game-like” and we go into how to do this in a team Resources Nonlinear pedagogy Constraints led approach Dynamics of skill acquisition Dexterity in its development https://emergentmvmt.com/ “Underpinnings” course Visual perception and action in sport Contact @TylerYearby @EMERGENTMVMT http://www.starterssportstraining.com/ Show Notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we have on Hugh Quattelbaum, hitting coordinator for the Seattle Mariners. Q has such an awesome background from his playing career, to being a screenwriter and then becoming a coordinator. On the show, we talk about the rewards and challenges of coaching coaches, we talk about how to execute organizational principles, we talk plan/approach and mindset and how to simplify these to help the player focus. You’re gonna love this conversation and here is Hugh Quattelbaum! Resources The way of baseball Inner game of tennis Obstacle is the way Antifragile Contact Twitter Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

On today show we have Todd Interdonato, head baseball coach at Wofford College. Todd is in his thirteenth season as head coach of the Wofford baseball program. He was named head coach of the Terriers on June 26, 2007 after previously serving for two seasons as an assistant coach at Wofford. With 323 career wins, he is first all-time among Wofford baseball coaches in that category. Interdonato has led the program to unprecedented success, with 30 or more wins in five of the last six seasons. On the show We talk about how we give a ton of ownership to players, while holding them accountable, Todd gives us some insight into how to provide clarity to players in their roles, and we talk about how to build a team offense that is multifaceted. Contact [email protected]

Coaches vs. Covid fredhutch.org/coachesvscovid Today we have on the pitching coordinator for the Baltimore Orioles, Chris Holt. Chris Oversees the development of every pitcher in the organization and have an increased presence on the Major League side. On the show we talk about how he builds in autonomy and lets the coaches in the system utilize their strengths, how we can embrace who the player is but also help the improve and we talk about what he thinks the next wave is in pitching development is. Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto When you have a small amount of players. (6 players) play double or nothing. Players go for a double no matter where the ball is. This can build instincts. “Coordinators coach the coaches.” You have to realize you want guys around you who will do things the right way. You want your players to do things their own way in order for them to problem solve the best way possible. Once you have buy in the approach has to be “Let’s get work done.” There is less difficulty to create buy in when there is objective data. Tell players what they do well and what they don’t. Explain why behind each finding and how they can improve. Understand the player as a person and find out how they learn best. With players who aren’t buying in be honest and real with the player. Players need to realize that “We don’t have time to waste, so let’s not waste it.” Our time playing the game is very short. Be close with your players so that you can be completely truthful with them. Understand where the player comes from and his background. Spend time in the office talking to the player and what they believe in. “Players need to maintain what got them good in the first place.” We want our players to own their performance. Throw your regular bullpen and then then finish off with a game called one shot. The coach gives the location, count, pitch, and situation. If the player executed this pitch then the coach will do ten pushups or some other exercise. If the player misses then they have to do the exercise. This allows you to be vulnerable around your players and creates a fun atmosphere. The next goal is to maximize the sequencing and deception aspects of the pitcher’s mix and delivery. To get a players as good of a pitch off that he can the pitcher needs to have athleticism, rhythm, and tempo in the delivery. The pitcher must have a be on attack mindset. There must be an intent behind the work instead of an intent to throw hard. “Intent is having a purpose.” The next wave of guys are those who can pitch vertically and horizontally. (Nightmare repertoire). Work on simplifying what you are saying for clear understanding. Get into the art of cues. This can help players understand to maximize their performance. “You want to be simple and concise.” Find out what kind of learning that excites the players. Players need to understand that failing is a part of improvement. Be positive and enthusiastic with the player. Take complicated aspects and simplify it down to simplistic terms. When reading and learning focus on what speaks to you. Your thoughts become your habits, and habits become your performance. Whatever we are learning, we need to create mastery in order to teach it well.

Tracy Smith, the 2013 National Coach of the Year, was hired as the fifth head baseball coach in program history on June 24, 2014, and enters his sixth season at the helm of the Sun Devil baseball program. Smith has established a reputation of evaluating and developing talent as more than 75 student-athletes since 2000 improved their stock in the Major League Baseball Draft under Smith’s tutelage, including four who became first-round draft picks after going undrafted out of high school. In 23 total years as a head coach, Smith has seen 85 of his players selected in the MLB Draft, including 78 draftees since 2000 and 35 in the first 10 rounds. He has mentored 53 Major League Baseball draft picks over the past eight seasons. On the show, we talk about his ecosystem of winning and the Arizona State culture. We go over how to establish clear expectations and communication with players and staff and we talk about what the look for in recruits and how that sets the tone for culture on a daily basis. Here is Tracy Smith! Show notes courtesy of Zach Casto.

Today we’re joined by UCLA Head Baseball Coach John Savage. Through 15 seasons as UCLA’s head coach, John has established the Bruins as a consistent national championship contender. Savage helped UCLA reach college baseball’s pinnacle in 2013, as the Bruins won their first-ever NCAA baseball title. Under his guidance, UCLA has advanced to the postseason in 11 of the last 15 seasons, hosting an NCAA Regional in six of the last 10, including four-straight from 2010 through 2013. Savage completed his 15th season as UCLA’s head coach in 2019. He is currently the third longest-tenured head coach in UCLA baseball program history and has gone 539-360-1 in the past 15 seasons. On the show, we talk about steps he and his staff have taken to build the culture, we get into staff development, we talk about competitive situations in practice and much, much more. Here is John Savage!